Temptations wait Sunday in Lent. Sfriî1.5. upon Perteßton. 77 will noted. When the waues and windes ofTemptation, blow,and beat hard againft mats breft, and feemingto ouenvhelme him, hee remaineth firme as a Rocke, this istrue fortitude indeed. ItDauids Tower (which is aType ofthe Church) all theweapons ofwarre weredefenfiue, as Shields, andTargets and Morrions ; "(Mile clypeipendent exea. And it is further added , That thefewere the Armesand weaponsof the thongandvaliant men. Some will fay , That there is no worke of vertue which is not fubiea to temptation. Who did euer begin towalke in the wayofperfection, who did notmeet withathoufand phanrafies Diabolus enimfmperperprimordia boni put- fat, ¿ tentat rudimentavirtutum, faithChryfologus ; it becingtherefore needefull that weefhould fliefrom temptation , fhall it not bee likewifcnecéfl'arie , that wee flip fromperfeaion. Hereunto Thomas anfwereth, Thattofollowperfe- étion is aworkeoftheholy Ghoft,who is the Author thereof; and hauing him for ourfecond, to bring vs into the Field, weeneednotto feare. They that in the Primitiué Church did people theDeferts andfolitarie places, didno doubt perceiue that theyfhouldbe fetvpon and tempted : But becaufe their end was nor ro play bo-peepewith theDeuil! and to goeabout tomock& him , but to ferue their God, and toenjoyhis fauour, theydid not carea fig forall his temp- tations. Inaword, The temptationsthat weeare tofife from , are thofe which oftheir owne nature difpofevs vnto finne ; asvnlawfirll games, offenfiue con- nerfations, ill companie, dancing,masking,and idle Enterludes : for hethat tou- . chethPitch fhaIl bedefiled therewith. Saint Paul writingto the Hebrews,giues vsthis goodaduice, Deponentes omnependus, &circumfans nospeccatum Laying Emery weight afide, andthe finne thatfiordsabout vs. Where the word Circumflans is much tobeweighed:for there aremany things, whichalbeit theybee notfin, yet are they verie neere vnto finne. And (as Saint Au en faith) as Gods mer- cie Both round andgard thegates about the houfeof the Righteous, Circumuo- litahat á longè mifericordia tua : So likewife the malice of the Deuil! Both round our foules, and fpreddethhis nets round about vs to intrapvs : andtherfóre we mutt continually fixe oureye vponChrift Iefus our onely Saùiour; Vicientes inauthoremfrdei : that whentheDeuil! fhallcome to temptvs,he fhall finde him- felfe fo ftript of all occafionsto caufe vs to finne,that beefhall beearcedtobe- takehimfelfe toftoncs,as he didagainft our Sauiour. Vttentaretur.à Diabolo. That hemight be temptedof theDeuil. It hath beene treatedof alreadie, That the temptationof the World and the Flefhcould not takeholdon Chrift,inre- gardof that inward repugnance,andintrinficall oppofitionwhich hee had with weakeneffe and ignorance. Andtherefore it is commonly faid, thatthe one is incident to the weake ; the other proper vnto fooles. Of Thales Milefaru they asked many.queftions, andtoall he gaue conuenient &fittinganfwers as,What is themolt ancient eGod : What the faireft thingthat he created t' Theworld What the lighten e Thought : Whatthe ftrongeft e Neceflìtie : What the eafr- eft, andyetthe hardeft t' The knowledge ofamans felfe : What the foolifheft r Theheart of.a man that isgiuento theworld. Therebeing therefore depofited inourSauioursbreit all the treafutes ofGods wifedome, hee could not bee tempted bytheWorldyand leffeby the Flefh.AndIverilybeleeue,that though it was impoìble for hiui tobetempted ; yet ifit hadbeene poflible, hee would not haueconfented tothefe temptations,to the end that he mightaduifevs that when Deuil! fhouldfet vpón vs with thefeweapons, we maygiueour felues G 3 almoft Heb. ra. OurSauiopr could not be tempted either by theWorld or the Flc/tt.
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